Wuxia meets gaming: a game world as if from a dream
At a time when many role-playing games hardly differ from one another, a breath of fresh air is blowing in from China: Where Winds Meet is the name of the new project from Everstone Studio – an epic open world role-playing game that is deeply rooted in Chinese history and mythology.
Visually the adventure is reminiscent of movies like Hero or Tiger & Dragon: Wide landscapes, elaborate battles and a style that seems to be drawn more with brushes than pixels. The game is set at the time of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms – an era full of upheaval, heroic myths and conflicts that is still little known to Western gamers.
In July, selected PC and PS5 players will be able to get their hands on the game: A global beta test starts on the 25th. New is that previously unseen regions of the game world will also be unlocked. So if you register early, with a bit of luck you can embark on a virtual journey through time to the Far East – including acrobatics, sword duels and stylized magic.
However, as much enthusiasm the new trailer is generating, one detail is causing heated discussions behind the scenes.
A lot of driving banned – and this RPG won’t be open to everyone either
Because Where Winds Meet is being released exclusively for the PlayStation 5, accompanied by a PC and mobile version – other consoles are being left out. “Not available on other consoles for at least six months”, it says in the small print. A move that is not new: Final Fantasy 16 also launched exclusively on the PS5 before it was later released for other platforms.
Sony is once again relying on prestige projects from the Far East and is pushing ahead with its China Hero Project. Titles such as Phantom Blade Zero and Lost Soul Aside also come from this funding and should make the PS5 line-up unique.
For Xbox gamers, this means: wait or do without. For PlayStation fans, on the other hand, Where Winds Meet could be the most unusual role-playing game of the year so far – a game that breaks new ground both culturally and visually.
